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Love

Print
1967 (made)
Artist/Maker
Editions Domberger (printer)
Indiana, Robert (artist)
Place of origin
Germany (printed)

This is one of the iconic images of American Pop Art. Indiana himself has reworked the motif in prints, paintings and sculptures, and it was even used as a design for a U.S. postage stamp. It has also been much imitated and 'quoted' by other artists and designers. It has come to stand as an emblem for the spirit of the 1960s, the era of 'free love' and sexual liberation. The image has the visual impact of an advertising poster or a corporate logo.

This particular version is one of a set of four entitled 'Love Wall', produced for a portfolio published in Germany on the occasion of the exhibition Formen der Farber [Form in Colour], at the Würtembergischer Kunstverein, Bonland Bei Stuttgart, Germany, 1967.

Object details

Category
Prints
Object type
Print
TitleLove
Materials and techniques
Colour screen print on paper
Brief description
Robert Indiana: Love. Screenprint 1967
Physical description
The letters of the word LOVE printed in red against a blue and green ground, arranged in a square formation, with LO at the top and VE below. The image is printed to the edge of the sheet on 3 sides but a wide un-printed margin is left on the remaining side.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 65cm
  • Sheet width: 50cm
  • Height: 650mm
  • Width: 501mm
The dimensions given in the catalogue raisonné (see References tab) are 64.8 x 49.8 cm
Styles
Pop
Hard Edge
Production typeLimited edition
Credit line
Copyright ARS, New York & DACS, London 2001
Production
With Circ.577, 578 and 579-1978 this print forms the set 'Love Wall'. They form part of a portfolio of works by various artists entitled 'R1-67' published on the occasion of the exhibition 'Formen der Farber' [Form in Colour] at the Würtembergischer Kunstverein, Bonlanden Bei Stuttgart. Other prints in the portfolio are by: Joseph Albers, Allan D'Arcangelo, Max Bill, Robin Denny, Nicholas Krushenik, Karl Pfaler, Richard Smith, William Turnbull, and Victor Vasarely.

This suite of four comprises two sets of duplicates. In the catalogue raisonné (see References tab) they are illustrated as a square block of four, the upper pair mirror images of each other and the lower pair mirror images of each other, but they also act as mirror images vertically as well as horizontally. However, in order to create this conformation two of the sheets have to be turned upside down. In the V&A prints the duplicate pairs are Circ. 576 and Circ. 579-1968 and Circ 577 and Circ. 578-1968
Subjects depicted
Love
Word
Summary
This is one of the iconic images of American Pop Art. Indiana himself has reworked the motif in prints, paintings and sculptures, and it was even used as a design for a U.S. postage stamp. It has also been much imitated and 'quoted' by other artists and designers. It has come to stand as an emblem for the spirit of the 1960s, the era of 'free love' and sexual liberation. The image has the visual impact of an advertising poster or a corporate logo.

This particular version is one of a set of four entitled 'Love Wall', produced for a portfolio published in Germany on the occasion of the exhibition Formen der Farber [Form in Colour], at the Würtembergischer Kunstverein, Bonland Bei Stuttgart, Germany, 1967.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Susan Sheehan, with Poppy Gander-Orchier and Catherine Mennenga: Catalogue Raisonné: 'Robert Indiana: Prints: 1951-1991'. New York, Susan Sheehan Gallery, 1967. Cat. no. 40. For the original version of 'Love' published by Multiples Inc. New York; printed by Sirocco Screenprinters, North Haven, Conn., SEE: The Museum of Modern Art New York: American Prints 1960-1985 In the Collection of The Museum of Modern Art. 1986. p.404. This print along with 3 others, is a variant of this original, printed by Domberger, Stuttgart. They were published as part of the portfolio 'R1-67' SEE cat. rais. ref. above and also note in Attributions tab.
  • Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1968
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
CIRC.576-1968

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Record createdJune 20, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O157118/love-print-indiana-robert/
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